9 reasons why employers need to hire candidates who are early in their insurance careers

There are important short- and long-term benefits for employers to hire students, recent graduates, and others early in their careers for insurance roles. We reached out to nine hiring experts to get their thoughts:

• Establish Mentorship Programs for New Hires
• Create Training Pipeline for Curious Learners
• Launch Branded Insurance Career Academies
• Leverage Carrier Partnerships for Referrals
• Implement Employee Referral Bonus Program
• Engage Students Through Campus Recruitment
• Partner with Universities for Real-World Challenges
• Develop Career Discovery Pipeline for Candidates
• Use Assessments to Identify Suitable Candidates

Establish Mentorship Programs for New Hires

I’ve seen the best results come from establishing mentorship programs where experienced brokers are paired with new hires during their first 6-12 months. This approach helped us retain 85% of entry-level hires at my previous firm. Having been both a mentor and mentee myself, I suggest structuring the program with clear learning milestones and regular shadowing opportunities. This hands-on experience is what really helps newcomers build confidence in this complex field.

James Inwood, Insurance Broker, James Inwood

Create Training Pipeline for Curious Learners

One recruiting strategy I’d recommend — especially when you’re hiring dozens or even hundreds of early-career candidates into insurance — is to stop chasing “perfect resumes” and start creating environments where curiosity and communication matter more than credentials.

When we were growing, I quickly realized that most candidates didn’t wake up dreaming of a career in insurance. It’s not flashy. So instead of waiting for insurance enthusiasts to show up, we built a paid training pipeline designed for smart, hungry people with zero experience — but the right attitude.

We’d post roles that said, “No insurance knowledge required — just a willingness to learn, ask questions, and care about people.” That wording alone changed the volume and tone of applications we received. And the ones who came through? They became some of our strongest team members today.

Bottom line: You’re not just recruiting for skill — you’re recruiting for potential. And early-career individuals? They’ve got loads of it, if you give them the right runway.

Brian Greenberg, Founder, Insurancy

Launch Branded Insurance Career Academies

Hiring early career talent at scale in the insurance sector presents a unique challenge. Unlike industries such as tech or marketing, which may be perceived as more glamorous or fast-paced, insurance roles can struggle with their image — often viewed by younger candidates as rigid, traditional, or difficult to enter. Yet, insurance offers one of the most stable, growth-oriented career paths for graduates and early professionals.

One highly effective strategy is to create branded, experiential learning academies — structured onboarding and training programs designed specifically for early career candidates that combine skill-building, industry education, and real-world project work. This can be thought of as an internal apprenticeship program that not only trains young professionals in underwriting, claims management, or risk analysis but also immerses them in the purpose and potential of insurance work.

This approach accomplishes three key objectives. First, it attracts candidates who might not have considered insurance by showing them a clear, supported pathway from day one. Second, it allows employers to recruit in cohorts — batch hiring dozens or even hundreds of candidates who train and grow together, which improves retention and fosters peer support. Third, it gives companies a competitive edge in campus recruitment. When students see a well-marketed “Insurance Career Accelerator” or “Future Risk Leaders Academy,” it positions the company as a long-term talent developer, not just a job provider.

Aviva UK launched a Graduate Development Programme that spans 24 months and offers rotational placements across departments such as underwriting, analytics, and corporate strategy. Each cohort is assigned mentors, receives soft-skill training, and even participates in cross-functional innovation challenges. The program has significantly improved their ability to recruit high-potential candidates from non-traditional backgrounds, such as economics, psychology, and even philosophy, by focusing on transferable skills and growth potential rather than degree specificity.

If insurance companies want to hire at scale and compete for young talent, they must stop relying on passive job boards or transactional recruitment. Instead, they should build branded academies that frame insurance as a future-ready, mission-driven industry. With the right positioning and structure, these programs don’t just fill roles — they build careers, enhance loyalty, and future-proof the workforce.

Miriam Groom, CEO, Mindful Career Counselling

Leverage Carrier Partnerships for Referrals

Growing from 3 to 20 employees while writing $20M in premium taught me that partnership recruiting through carrier relationships is the most scalable approach for mass hiring. We leveraged our Presidents Club status with multiple carriers to access their internal candidate referral networks.

Here’s what worked: I reached out to our carrier partners and asked them to refer candidates who didn’t quite fit their corporate culture but had solid insurance fundamentals. These were people already trained in the industry basics but looking for a more entrepreneurial environment. One carrier alone referred 12 qualified candidates in six weeks.

The beauty of this strategy is carriers have skin in the game — they want successful agencies with strong teams since it drives their own revenue. We hired 8 people through carrier referrals last year, and their retention rate hit 94% compared to 67% from traditional job boards.

The key is positioning your agency as the “destination” for carrier employees who want more autonomy and growth potential. We showed candidates our 25-30% yearly growth numbers and made it clear they’d have direct client interaction from day one, not just corporate bureaucracy.

Mikhail Kovalev, President, Kovalev Insurance Agency, Inc

Implement Employee Referral Bonus Program

Honestly, the biggest needle-mover for hiring dozens or even hundreds of early-career individuals into insurance is paid referral marathons. I am referring to offering $500 bonuses per successful hire to every current employee. No cap, no gimmicks. Suddenly, you have 20, 50, or even 100 team members turning into on-the-ground recruiters who know exactly the attitude and grit you want for the job. Candidates coming through referrals last longer and ramp up quicker, and your cost per hire drops to a fraction of what you pay for outside recruiters or job ads.

Early-career candidates trust people they know. When an employee walks someone through what the job is like, that story resonates much better than any job description or company video. I have seen teams double their monthly hires just by making the referral bounty public and turning it into a month-long contest with $5,000 or more in extra prizes for the top recruiters. You maintain a tight culture, fill the pipeline, and put real cash in the hands of the people you trust.

Guillermo Triana, Founder and CEO, PEO-Marketplace.com

Engage Students Through Campus Recruitment

Campus recruitment is a recruiting method that I highly recommend to employers who are sourcing dozens or even hundreds of entry-level job seekers for insurance jobs. Campus recruitment is a variation of recruiting where companies send their employees to college or university campuses to meet with graduating students. Not only does this allow employers to develop new talent, but it also provides them with the opportunity to make long-term contacts with students who might become future leaders of their organization.

Linda Chavez, Founder & CEO, Seniors Life Insurance Finder

Partner with Universities for Real-World Challenges

I highly recommend partnering with local universities and colleges. For instance, we once teamed up with a top business school in Ho Chi Minh City to run an “Insurance Innovation Challenge,” where students worked on real claims scenarios and customer service solutions. The best performers were offered internships that often turned into full-time roles.

By setting up internships, attending career fairs, and offering real-world experiences like this, you can identify motivated candidates early while building strong brand recognition. Add mentorship and clear growth paths, and you’ll have a steady pipeline of eager, qualified hires ready to build their careers in insurance with you.

Jack Nguyen, CEO, InCorp

Develop Career Discovery Pipeline for Candidates

One thing I always recommend to employers who want to hire many early-career talents into insurance is to focus on creating a career discovery pipeline, not just posting jobs and hoping for applicants.

In life insurance, most people don’t wake up one day and say, “I want to sell life insurance.” They usually discover the opportunity. That’s why I spend time showing candidates what this career can look like for them. I run informational sessions, share real “day-in-the-life” stories, and give them a chance to picture themselves in the role before we even talk about next steps.

When you lead with education and let people explore, you don’t just get applicants. You get future advisors who feel like they chose this path, which means they stay longer and succeed more often.

Amber Deegan, National Recruiting Advisor

Use Assessments to Identify Suitable Candidates

If “insurance jobs” refers to selling insurance, consider using an assessment like the SPQ Gold FSA to determine if candidates have the motivational profile suitable for insurance sales. Using an assessment allows employers to connect with hundreds of potential candidates and enables hiring managers to focus their efforts only on those individuals whose profiles mirror successful sales professionals.

Greg S, Human Resources